Response to Joint Committee on Human Rights re Role of Children’s Commissioner for England – Family Law Bar Association

Posted April 16th, 2012 in barristers, children, human rights, news by sally

“Download the FLBA response to to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights’ call for submissions relating to the inquiry into the role and independence of the Office of the Children’s Commissioner for England.”

Full story

Family Law Bar Association, 12th April 2012

Source: www.flba.co.uk

Response to Home Office Consultation on Forced Marriage – Family Law Bar Association

Posted April 16th, 2012 in barristers, consultations, forced marriages, news by sally

“Download the FLBA response to to the Home Office consultation on Forced Marriage.”

Full story

Family Law Bar Association, 12th April 2012

Source: www.flba.co.uk

Response to BSB Consultation on Public Access Rules – Family Law Bar Association

Posted April 16th, 2012 in barristers, consultations, legal services, news, professional conduct by sally

“Download the FLBA response to to the BSB Consultation on review and amendments to Rule 2(i) and Rule 3(1) of the Public Access Rules (Nov 11).”

Full story

Family Law Bar Association, 12th April 2012

Source: www.flba.co.uk

Pegasus – slaying the Bar’s beast of a diversity problem – Legal Week

Posted April 5th, 2012 in barristers, diversity, news, pupillage by sally

“‘Mini-pupillages are essential for getting a pupillage in the end and most sets would not look at a candidate without them,’ says Brick Court Chambers co-head Jonathan Hirst QC.”

Full story

Legal Week, 5th April 2012

Source: www.legalweek.com

Legal Services Board’s Role Must Now be Confined – Bar Council Responds to Triennial Review – The Bar Council

Posted April 3rd, 2012 in barristers, Legal Services Board, news by sally

“The Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, has responded to the Government’s Triennial Review of the Legal Services Board (LSB) and called for it to be actively discouraged by the Government from extending its remit beyond that envisaged by Parliament.”

Full story

The Bar Council, 2nd April 2012

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Related link: Full consultation response (PDF

Improving social mobility at the bar? Students at the Old Bailey is a start – The Guardian

Posted March 29th, 2012 in barristers, diversity, legal education, news by sally

“The sight of privileged barristers cross-examining some of society’s worst-off as they stand in the dock has long disquieted the legal profession. So a number of social mobility initiatives have been created with the aim of luring those from less well-off backgrounds into the profession.”

Full story

The Guardian, 29th March 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Agreement reached on QASA – Bar Standards Board

“Agreement on a joint scheme to assure the quality of criminal advocacy has been reached by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), Bar Standards Board (BSB) and ILEX Professional Standards (IPS).”

Full story

Bar Standards Board, 23rd March 2012

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

Regulators approve new scheme to measure quality at criminal Bar – Legal Week

“A controversial new scheme for criminal barristers that could see QCs paid the same as leading juniors is a step closer to coming into effect after being approved by a trio of legal regulators.”

Full story

Legal Week, 26th March 2012

Source: www.legalweek.com

Motherhood is no bar – The Lawyer

Posted March 26th, 2012 in barristers, families, flexible working, news, queen's counsel by sally

“Contrary to popular perception, the bar is not such a bad place for mothers. Or so says Rebecca Sabben-Clare of 7KBW, one of 88 barristers to be made up in the latest silk round.”

Full story

The Lawyer, 26th March 2012

Source: www.thelawyer.com

Employed Bar Looks to the Future at Annual Conference – The Bar Council

Posted March 21st, 2012 in barristers, legal profession, news by sally

“The Employed Barristers’ Committee (EBC) of the Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, hosts its annual conference in London tomorrow, entitled “A Week in the Life of an Employed Barrister”. This year’s conference will focus on the effect of the changing legal and regulatory landscape on the day-to-day work of an employed barrister, and will include a keynote address by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Keir Starmer QC.”

Full story

The Bar Council, 20th March 2012

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Letters to the Legal Services Board – The Bar Council

Posted March 16th, 2012 in barristers, contracts, press releases by tracey

“Update for the profession: the Chairman of the Bar Council has written to the Chief Executive and Business Planning Associate at the Legal Services Board (LSB) to offer the Bar’s view on the proposed New Contractual terms and the LSB’s Draft Strategic and Business Plan 2012-15 respectively.”

Full press release

The Bar Council, 15th March 2012

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Discussion paper developed from Literature Review – Bar Standards Board

Posted March 14th, 2012 in barristers, legal education, news by sally

“A major step will be taken in the delivery of the research-based segment of the Legal Education & Training Review (LETR) now that the a key discussion paper and headline findings from the draft Literature Review have been revealed.”

Full story

Bar Standards Board, 13th March 2012

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

Related link: Discussion Paper 01/2012 (PDF)

Law Society slams barristers’ public access plan – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted March 14th, 2012 in barristers, legal aid, legal education, legal representation, news by sally

“Proposals to allow barristers with less than three years’ experience to accept work directly from the public without supervision are ‘an abdication of regulatory risk,’ according to the Law Society.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 14th March 2012

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Barrister who forged Baroness Hale’s signature struck off by BSB – The Lawyer

Posted March 13th, 2012 in barristers, disciplinary procedures, forgery, news, professional conduct by sally

“A former Middle Temple barrister has been struck off by the Bar Standards Board (BSB) for concocting a web of ‘tortuous deceit’ over a ‘phantom’ £1m payout to his client.”

Full story

The Lawyer, 12th March 2012

Source: www.thelawyer.com

Bar Council Launches Online Parental Support Hub – The Bar Council

Posted March 12th, 2012 in barristers, families, news by sally

“The Bar Council has launched a new, online Parental Support Hub to enhance its offering to barrister parents. The Hub provides the latest information, advice and support for barristers seeking to combine employed or self-employed practice with parenthood or primary carer responsibilities. It includes information on the rights afforded to parents and carers, taxes and benefits and the work of the Bar Council and Inns of Court in this area.”

Full story

The Bar Council, 12th March 2012

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Abu Qatada barrister could become Britain’s next European human rights judge – Daily Telegraph

Posted March 12th, 2012 in barristers, human rights, judges, news, terrorism by sally

“A barrister likely to become Britain’s next judge at the controversial European Court of Human Rights has defended the radical cleric Abu Qatada on several occasions. ”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 10th March 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Forty-two chambers sign up to new PRIME-style Bar diversity scheme – Legal Week

Posted March 12th, 2012 in barristers, diversity, inns of court, news, pupillage by sally

“The Inner Temple has launched a work experience scheme to encourage social mobility and diversity at the Bar.”

Full story

Legal Week, 12th March 2012

Source: www.legalweek.com

Related link: Pegasus Access Scheme

Quality test ‘should not protect barristers’ – Law Society’s Gazette

“Controversy about the use of judicial evaluation in a new scheme to assess the quality of advocates has escalated, with solicitors’ bodies warning that the scheme could become a means to protect barristers.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 8th March 2012

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Barrister Connect goes live – Bar Standards Board

Posted March 6th, 2012 in barristers, news by sally

“We [Bar Standards Board], along with the Bar Council, have today launched Barrister Connect, a new system to enable barristers to renew their practising certificates online.”

Full story

Bar Standards Board, 5th March 2012

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

Access Denied: Bar Council Welcomes LASPO Concessions as Report Calls for Further Reform – The Bar Council

Posted March 2nd, 2012 in barristers, legal aid, press releases by tracey

“As Peers prepare for the start of the Report Stage of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill next Monday, the Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, has welcomed the limited concessions announced yesterday, whilst calling on the Government to take heed of the overwhelming evidence and weight of opinion against many of its reforms.”

Full press release

Access Denied report

The Bar Council, 2nd March 2012

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk